Stalls in wholesale markets no longer have to suspend business for three days if a nearby seller tests positive for COVID-19, which would help ensure stable supply of agricultural products, the Council of Agriculture said on Thursday.
Sellers who are not close contacts of confirmed cases can continue to operate if they test negative in a rapid test and after stalls have been disinfected, the council said.
During a level 3 COVID-19 alert last year, potential contacts of cases were identified and ordered to close for three days after cluster infections were reported at the Taipei First Wholesale Fruit and Vegetable Market (第一果菜批發市場) in Wanhua District (萬華) and the Second Fruit and Vegetable Wholesale Market (第二果菜批發市場) in Zhongshan District (中山).
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
While the nation this month is again facing an increase in domestic cases, the government has adopted new disease prevention measures that minimize the effect on livelihoods, as more than 99 percent of recent COVID-19 cases have had mild or no symptoms.
The council recently revised its disease prevention guidelines for wholesale markets, sources said.
If several cases in the same wholesale market are reported, the council and the local government should cooperate with the Central Epidemic Command Center to launch special projects to deal with the situation, the new guidelines say.
The guidelines apply to wholesale markets for fruit and vegetables, aquatic products and meat products.
People who work at such places have been required to use the Taipei City Government’s TaipeiPASS app to enter the markets in Taipei since July last year.
The Taipei City Government has linked the TaipeiPASS system to the EasyCard and National Health Insurance systems to track whether market workers have received two COVID-19 vaccine shots.
About 60 percent of people who work at markets in Taipei have received at least one booster dose, sources said.
The new guidelines say that members of the public who enter such markets are to scan the QR code for the government contact tracing system or activate the Taiwan Social Distancing app, have their temperature taken and sanitize their hands, the council said.
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